Daft Doctor
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Posts posted by Daft Doctor
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Hi, in order to tie up loose ends of this thread (ha!) and perhaps help others interested in the S1(E106) for self-employment retirees issues, I thought I would feed back after my phone call to the Overseas Healthcare Team at DWP in Newcastle (0191 2181999).Firstly, for entitlement to healthcare overseas, only Class 1 & 2 NIC matter, so my query about Class 4 NIC is easily answered. Secondly, in the case of self-employed people retiring and moving to France, as I suspected, the maximum entitlement to an S1(E106) is 21 months. This assumes a move to France on 6th April, having just made a full years Class 2 NIC in the tax year just ending. The S1 would be valid until 6th January in the tax year following that of the move. As example, full Class 2's paid in tax year 2011-12, move to France 6th April 2012, S1 valid until 6th January 2014.The system certainly discriminates against the self employed, as Class 2 contributions can only be paid weekly (or quarterly) in arrears, and a full years contributions (only amounting to £122.40) must be paid for that tax year to be a qualifying one for ongoing S1 cover. The employed however can easily pay enough Class 1 NIC in the first 3 months of a tax year for it to become qualifying, hence they can get an extra 9 months coverage from their S1(E106). Doesn't seem fair.
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I too recently had an experience like this. I was returning from France to Geneva Airport (Swiss side) and usually fill up my hire car just over the Swiss border (as it is much cheaper). I wasn't sure I could make the journey into Switzerland, so I put just 16 euros worth in the the tank in France, using my Nationwide debit card to pay. I had approx £200 in the account, so first transaction was fine. When I got to my favourite Swiss petrol station I filled up with approx 50 CHF worth and thought it would be no problem. My debit card was rejected however, and I paid with credit card (charges and c**p exchange rate). Even though I'd only spent a total of approx £50 on the 2 transactions against a balance of £200, when I had fuelled in france they had pre-charged my card to the tune of £105. Although they don't actually take the money, the funds are reserved so aren't technically available to you until the entire transaction clears. When I had then visited the Swiss petrol station, they had clearly tried to do a similar thing, i.e. £35 for the fuel and £?? pre-charge. the reserved funds had gone over the £200 limit, so the card was rejected.
The good news was that I was able to use my Smartphone in Geneva Airport to check my Nationwide account balance, then do a fastpay transfer to it from my Lloyds account to instantly refresh my available funds. I could therefore still do my duty free shopping with the debit card, with no problems and no nasty charges. I think petrol stations and hotels do this as well as car hire firms, so its as well to be aware it might happen.
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Hi, I have gathered that long-term rentals through an agency in France mean as the tenant you pay monthly rent (loyer mensuel) and a one-off agency fee (frais d'agence). It seems there are also 'charges mensuelles' to pay, which seem to be a substantial percentage of the rent (20-30%). Does anyone know what these charges mensuelles include? Are we talking tax d'habitation, utilities, etc? Any insight as always most welcomed.
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Thanks Coops, I have the number so will ring them tomorrow and put some scenarios to them and see what they say.
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Hi Coops, not sure what you mean. Class 4 NIC is certainly not voluntary, it is based on business profit. I will be paying it on those profits earned up to the time I stop work, but paid in the tax year containing the accounting year end, i.e 2012-2013 for profits earned to 30 April 2012. I don't know whether this confers any prolonged benefits to an E form or not, but I can ask the question. I don't quite understand why July 6th is so important. I think I understand that employed people can pay enough qualifying Class 1 NIC in the first three months to confer an extra years E form cover, but how does this affect the self-employed, who, as I said above pay flat rate Class 2's (a pittance) and profit-based Class 4's (paid much later). The poster above was told to pay class 2's until the end of the tax year and delay his departure until after 6th April, then getting 21 months cover. The latter scenario seems intuitively correct, but am I missing something? Thanks again, as usual all your views are very useful.
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Simvastatin 40mg is the standard treatment because it is very very cheap and to be honest will do fine for the vast majority of people. If side effects are an issue however, there are other statins which because they are more potent can be taken at a lower dose and are therefore better tolerated. At present they are vastly more expensive than Simvastatin because they still have their patents (so only the original company can produce them) so are 'reserved' for those patients either having problems with side effects or where the increased potency is needed to bring the cholesterol levels down. These drug patents will expire eventually, then as the price comes tumbling down as more manufacturers can compete, they will be offered more as first choice treatments.
Many doctors do indeed take them, myself included as it happens, and I have done so as a preventive measure since I was 41 (my family history isn't so good!).
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I will indeed phone them for advice. I live less than 400 yards from the offices in Newcastle (used to be bothered to death by DWP & HMRC workers parking all over our narrow estate road until they put single yellow lines on it - Ha!), so it may even be possible to visit personally.
The link above mentions contributions in the preceding 3 full tax years before departure. I am planning an April departure as it happens, which means I will at least have full contributions until 5th April of the year in question. The interesting additional thing is that we have an April 30th accounting year end, and the annual profits are taxable (and Class 4 NIC paid) in the tax year ending 5th April following, ie if I stopped work and moved April 2012, tax and NIC on profits assessed in tax year 2012-2013. Not sure if the Class 4's paid (assuming they would still be paid in UK rather than France) to HMRC would prolong entitlement to E106. Will ask that question too!
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I echo Sprogsters thoughts on this absolutely. I have just lost a patient of mine suddenly with a heart attack just past age 60 when outwardly he was as fit as a butcher's dog, very active, slim, non-smoker and little alcohol intake. Fact was I'd been trying to persuade him to have a statin on and off for the last 5 years, but he was keen to simply try diet alone. A statin wasn't guaranteed to have saved him, but there is a good chance his life would have been prolonged significantly if he had taken it (the evidence for the benefits of statins is incontravertable).True side effects rates are very low indeed, and whilst it is certain that a healthy diet and lifestyle is good for everyone, statins take diet modification to the cleaners when it comes to reducing unhealthy types of cholesterol.Talk to your GP about it if you are concerned. All cases must of course be judged individually, and all of us have different views on taking long term preventive medication, but the very distressed family of the patient I lost certainly wished he had taken my suggestions more seriously!
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Hi Mikep, thanks for your lateral thinking. Sadly, not only would I be a very early retiree from the NHS, but even worse, Mrs DD has only just turned 40, hence no sniff of an E121 for several years!I thought I had the E106 situation for self-employed retirees sussed, but now I am confused again after Coop's post above. I was sure from previous threads that as long as you had a good enough NIC record in the previous fiscal year, if you arrived in France as soon as possible after the first Saturday in January, your E106 could last up to 103 weeks. In other words January was best time to move and December the worst. Have things changed since 2008?
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Hi AnOther, I should have phrased my comment differently, I meant to say 'if all my income was taxable in the UK'. I realise that I have no choice over that matter, I was simply curious to know how that might affect me and particularly my position regarding ongoing access to French health care.On that subject, and from posting on earlier threads, I was led to understand that even as a retired self-employed person, an E106 could be for up to 2 years depending on how soon in the calendar year one arrived in France. Perhaps those rules have also changed or I was mistaken all along?
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If I had income from all sources taxed in the UK, and continued to pay NIC (the income levels would be over the threshold for paying NIC by some way), would I be entitled to an ongoing E form beyond the normal max 2 years for formerly self-employed retiree expats? Effectively I wouldn't be retired (except from clinical medicine that is)
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Hi, thanks for the kind insight. As a GP (self-employed contractor status) I am sure my NHS pension is paid from central funds via NHSPA. As such I think it likely it will be taxed in the UK, but I can always clarify it with them/HMRC.
Would being a sleeping partner but paying tax/cotisations on my Partnership income in France have any deleterious effect on my rights to an E form (only available I know for max 2 years after leaving the UK), or would paying cotisations in France have any influence on my ability to qualify for access to the French health system?
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Hi Ugo, back from St G after a weeks holiday. There was no hint of any anxiety in the town regarding the glacier situation, and property prices are as firm as ever. The work has started on purging the glacier and as far as I could establish, no hiccups so far. I even spoke to an English resident out there and again, no worries. Hope that helps a bit. No one has a crystal ball but I am not changing my plans to move out there permanently as soon as I am able.
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Hi, when I retire from the rat race and make my move to France (hopefully 2012), I will have income from a few sources. I will have income from letting UK property (residential - students) and my NHS pension. My understanding is that both of these income streams will be taxed in the UK but declared in France (with French tax partially/fully offset by that paid in the UK under the dual taxation treaty). I will probably however have a third income stream, and I am not sure how this will be treated from the tax, cotisation and french health care point of view.
Basically I will remain as a non practicing partner in my GP partnership, taking my share of the profits which relates solely to the property owning part of the business (we get rent from the NHS, but also let space to pharmacy, optician and dentist). As part of the GP partnership profits, this income would be taxed under Schedule D in the UK, and Class 2 and Class 4 NI contributions would be paid. I would however be resident in France (effectively a sleeping partner), so this income I assume would be declared there rather than in the UK. Question is, would self-employed income of this nature attract cotisations as well as tax (I suspect it would), and would I (in paying these cotisations) be entitled to entry to the french health care system once my relevant E form expires? Would I require any special tax regime or status for this income? I am already registered under BIC non professionels (loss making) for my leaseback apartment - which will be sold.
Sorry to waffle on, probably too much detail, but any insights or thoughts much appreciated.
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As usual, great bits of helpful insight and advice. I think Newcastle isn't desparately well served with container facilities, but rooms are readily available. Its also true that storage over the Channel might be worth considering. Thanks again
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Hi, I am doing all my research now in preparation for a planned move to France, but I am frustrated at the lack of a online ready reckoner for self storage facilities. We would probably rent furnished for 6 months or so after arrival, so would need to store our stuff in the meantime, and need to consider that cost in the scheme of things.I don't really want to contact the facilities in question directly as I might never get them off my back, but has anyone out there any idea roughly how much this type of thing costs? Any insight very gratefully received.
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Thanks for the info. I would be the seller, so was interested to know how much of the agreed price would normally come the seller's way. Who decides on the Notaire in an agency sale, and who draws up the compromis de vente, the agent?
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I'm a bit confused. My basic understanding is that unless a property is sold 'FAI' (frais agence inclusive), the agents fee is payable by the buyer on top of the sale price. Is that right? Does the seller then get the net price agreed?Also, are there any notaires or other costs to the seller, e.g preparation of a compromis de vente, etc, or is that also all down to the buyer?I'm sure the answers are already in some threads somewhere but some simple insight would be valuable. Thanks very much
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Yes, its bad luck. If I were you Ugo I'd wait till the works on the glacier are finished then go find something else in the town or surrounding area. My understanding is that the high risk areas are only those at the very lowest level in the valley floor (below 10m). This means vast majority of properties are perfectly safe.I am out to St gervais on Saturday, so will be interested to feel the vibes and see whether property prices have shifted down.
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Hi, thanks. I have unticked 'notify' bell on the thread heading. I must say however (as I said in my original post) I did disable all email communications and notifications through my profile and it made no difference at all. Perhaps that is something the forum webmasters need to address?
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A few weeks ago I asked to be notified by email when a new posting was made to a thread I was interested in. The thread in question proved interesting to a lot more forum members, and before I knew it I was and still am being bombarded with email notifications (there are over 200 postings to date).I followed the instructions at the bottom of each email to change my profile to disallow receipt of any emails, but they still keep coming! What can I do? Do I have to wait until interest in the thread in question finally wanes?Help much appreciated
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Thank you all very much for your info, insight and links. It's true that we are welded to the school holidays for our main summer break. The reason I contemplated late August is that the Jet2 flights are on a Sunday, so if we flew out on 14th Aug, the return date would be 28th, so I would have the following day (bank holiday Monday) off work. I guess we could reconsider that. My now 16 year old son will be getting his AS level results, but that's not really a problem.
I was interested to hear that there are inland freshwater lakes in the region. Does anyone have any names/locations? Thanks again
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Hi. I am busy planning next year's summer hols for my family (inc children 9 & 17). I am interested in finding out more about holidaying in Languedoc-Rousillon, especially as Jet2 are now operating direct flights from Newcastle to Toulouse next summer.I suppose I am interested in the usual opinions: What is it like weather wise in late August? Is it overrun as much as the Riviera? What are the best coastal resorts to stay/visit (we prefer quality to quantity)? Are there nice places to stay inland (but within a shortish drive of the coast)? Is it as costly as the Riviera? Is there plenty to do or see for younger people?Sorry this is a long list, but I hope those of you who either live there or visit regularly will be mines of information. All opinions gratefully received.
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Thanks Papachapa, that's very helpful. I missed that detail on the marie's website.
Complex tax problem, probably a simple answer?
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